Director of Rowing Program
& Women's Head Coach:
Dr. Mike Davenport

Dr. Mike Davenport oversees both the women's and men's rowing programs and was appointed Washington's sixth women's rowing head coach in the summer of 1990. Prior to that, he was head coach at the University of Albany. Mike graduated from FIT in 1978, where he won several Dad Vail medals. After graduation, he was an assistant coach and was instrumental in FIT winning several national titles as well as the Dad Vail overall point trophy.

Davenport's coaching experience has extended well beyond the collegiate experience realm and onto the National Rowing Team. For two years, he was an assistant coach to the US Pre-Elite Heavyweight team. He spent the summer of 1991 in Cuba as a member of the Pan American team and was a member of the 1992-95 US World Championship teams. Most recently, Davenport was a member of the 1996 Olympic Team in Atlanta, GA.

A collegiate coach for 27 years, Davenport also serves as Washington's compliance coordinator and as an adjunct professor. Apart from his duties at the college, he wear several other hats. He is one of the founders of SportWork; has authored several books (Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging, Excel with the NCAA Bylaws, and Acid Reflux in Infants and Children); has spoken regularly at coaching conferences, workshops, and conventions; and is a primary educational consultant for USRowing.

Davenport also has several web sites and blogs currently in production, including ReThink Coaching, RowCollege, and MaxRigging.

E-mail Coach Davenport.

Dr. Mike Davenport

Novice Coach: Caren Saunders

Caren Saunders is in her seventh year as the novice women's rowing coach at Washington College. Saunders came to Chestertown from Fredericksburg, VA, where she taught history at Chancellor High School from 1997 until 2001.

Saunders earned a B.A. in History and Russian and an M.T. in Secondary Social Studies from the University of Virginia in 1997. At Virginia, she sat stroke for the novice eight (1992-93), varsity eight (1993-94), and lightweight eight (1994-96) teams.

A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, VA, Saunders served as a "Learn to Row" coach for the Rivanna Rowing Club in Charlottesville, VA, during the summers of 1994 and 1995.

Saunders resides in Chestertown with her husband, Ronald, and her sons, Barnes and Shane.

E-mail Coach Saunders.

Caren Saunders

Assistant Varsity Coach: Jessie House

Jessie House is in her first year as the assistant varsity women's rowing coach at Washington College. House comes to Washington from Florida Institute of Technology, the alma mater of the Shorewomen's head coach, Mike Davenport.

At Florida Institute of Technology, House rowed on NCAA Division II Championship participating boats in 2004, 2005, and 2006. An injury kept her out of the competition when the Panthers returned to the NCAA Division II Championships in 2007. House earned All-American and National Scholar-Athlete awards from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association in both 2005 and 2006.

House, who served as a team captain her senior year, graduated from Florida Tech in 2007.

E-mail Coach House.

Jessie House

Volunteer Assistant Coach: Katherine Wilson

After serving as the assistant varsity coach for the Shorewomen in the spring of 2007, Katherine Wilson returns as a volunteer assistant coach at Washington College.

Wilson was a four-year member of the Washington College women's rowing team and served as a team captain as a senior. Wilson was a key reason for the Shorewomen's status as the top-ranked boat in the mid-atlantic region. She also served as a Student-Athlete Mentor.

Wilson earned a B.A. in Sociology from Washington College in 2006.

E-mail Coach Wilson.

Katherine Wilson